Top 12 Knives of 2021

Looking For A Knife?

Have you noticed that something’s missing in your life this year? I know what it is. You need to buy yourself a brand, new razor-sharp knife! Maybe, a pocket knife that you can use as an everyday carry or a fixed blade that you can take hunting? If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, I’m going to make it easy for you. I’ve put together a list of the top 12 knives of 2021, to celebrate National Knife Day this month.

1. USMC Combat Fighter Knife

To kick off this list, a tried and true customer favorite the USMC Combat Fighter Knife absolutely belongs in your outdoor adventure gear and survival gear. The battle-proven design, officially licensed by the United States Marine Corps, is the most rock, solid combat knife you’ll ever own. The clip point blade is stainless steel, heat-treated with a black finish, and it has a heavy blood groove. The genuine leather handle is stacked just like the classic combat knives traditionally carried by Marines, complete with a protective guard and cast pommel. It comes with a leather sheath embossed with the iconic USMC logo.

2. Phantom Series OTF Tanto Knife

No list would be complete without a lightning-fast automatic OTF knife and this year, several have caught my attention. The Phantom Series OTF Tanto Knife can be deployed at a moment’s notice with an ambidextrous, sliding button. Pushing forward deploys the blade from the front of the handle and pulling back on the button retracts the blade. There are so many situations where you need a blade that can be accessed quickly. Think, cutting a fishing line, boat rigging or a seatbelt. The sharp, stainless steel tanto blade makes it exceptional at both piercing and slicing and the metal handle’s heavy texturing makes it slip-free in any environment. The handle also has a reversible pocket clip that’s low-profile and a glass-breaker pommel you might need in case of an emergency.

3. Ghost Series Double-Edge OTF Knife

Just like the Phantom, the Ghost Series Double-Edge OTF Knife has a blade that’s accessible in seconds. It has the same sliding button, automatic opening and closing, conveniently located along the side of the metal handle, which is smooth and ergonomic. The stainless steel blade is double-edged with a penetrating point like a dagger, making it perfect for piercing and puncturing. The handle also has the low-profile, reversible pocket clip and glass-breaker pommel like the knife above. Whether you choose the tanto style Phantom OTF or the dagger-style Ghost OTF, both of the knives on this list are at the top of the food chain! And be honest with yourself, it’s just pretty awesome to be able to pull an automatic out of your pocket and shoot the blade out at lightning speed.

4. M48 Cyclone Knife

When the M48 Cyclone hit the knife scene, it sent shock waves through the industry. The patented design was unlike anything knife enthusiasts had ever seen. Every year since its release, the twisted masterpiece of design has been one of the top knives of the year. It has a cast stainless steel blade with three spiraling cutting edges that come down to an incredibly sharp piercing point. It has the classic M48 glass-fiber-reinforced nylon handle, giving you a solid, no-slip grip. The handle also features a hefty skull-crusher pommel, making the knife lethal at both ends. A custom-designed, virtually indestructible Vortec belt sheath holds the Cyclone, easily accessible by your side.

5. Expendables Kunai Throwing Knife Set

For movie weapons collectors out there, the Expendables Kunai Throwing Knife Set should be at the top of your list of must-haves this years. It’s certainly at the top of our officially licensed collectibles list! Each is an exact replica of the throwing knives that Lee Christmas uses in “The Expendables” movie and are just as balanced and accurate. The throwers have a one-piece, black-coated AUS-6 stainless steel construction with cord-wrapped handles. A nylon sheath is included to hold the set of three throwing knives. At 12” in overall length, the Expendables Kunai are impressive when they fly through the air and stick their target. Believe me, don’t miss out on this set!

6. Gil Hibben Expendables Bowie

And since we’re talking about “The Expendables”, another exceptional collectible on our list for this year is the Gil Hibben Expendables Bowie. With a long history of designing knives for Sylvester Stallone, master knifemaker Gil Hibben crafted the bowie for the movie and it’s a beast! Coming at just shy of 20” in overall length, with a beefy premium stainless steel blade, the bowie has muscle you won’t believe when it comes to chopping and hacking through a job. This is not just a display piece! The elements like the gold-plated blade catcher and “Expendables” artwork on the synthetic ivory handle are just icing on the cake. To affirm its legacy of value, the Hibben Knives logo is stamped on the blade and embossed on the included belt sheath.

7. Gil Hibben Old West Toothpick Bowie

Another masterpiece of form and function from Gil Hibben, the Old West Toothpick Bowie is definitely on this top 12 list. With his experience as an Alaskan hunting guide, Gil Hibben knows exactly what you need in a bowie knife to tackle any task from the backyard to the backwoods. It has a slim profile blade of stainless steel in the classic Arkansas toothpick style, and it features a brass-plated blade back. The handle is a dark, hardwood with a hefty stainless steel handguard and pommel. As with all Hibben Knives, it comes with a leather belt sheath with an embossed Hibben Knives logo.

8. M-9 Bayonet Knife

The M-9 Bayonet Knife makes a great companion to your firearm, especially, in the heat of battle when anything can happen! The nylon belt sheath, that comes with this combat knife, features multiple attachment options, an integrated sharpening stone, an integrated barbwire cutter and a removable ammunition pouch. These are the extra features that make this bayonet knife one of the top contenders on this list. Gun enthusiasts, especially, have really put it on the map. It has a stainless steel blade with a non-reflective finish and heavy serrations on the spine, extending from a muzzle ring guard. The textured and deep-grooved, black TPU handle has a bayonet clip on the pommel that fits any standard bayonet lug.

9. USMC Desert OPS Sawback Machete

Continuing along the combat knife line, the USMC Desert OPS Sawback Machete made my 2021 knife list because it’s another officially licensed Marine-endorsed must-have. What I really like about this machete is that it embodies the fighting spirit of the Marines with its rock-solid build and a reminder of the core values every Marine stands for laser-etched on the blade. Honor. Courage. Commitment. The matte olive-drab, stainless steel blade has heavy-duty saw serrations and a razor-sharp edge, giving you the power of the Corps behind you! Assuring that you can put the machete to hard-use, it has a grippy ABS handle, secured to the tang with heavy-duty screws. The 24” overall combat machete can be carried in its belt sheath, which also has a shoulder strap. The USMC Desert OPS Sawback Machete honestly makes an awesome gift to a Marine.

10. Timber Wolf King Stag Antler Crown Knife

There was no question whether the Timber Wolf King Stag Antler Crown Knife belongs on the top knives of the year list. It’s a beautiful, nature-inspired piece that it looks like it came right from the earth itself with the sole purpose of hunting wooly mammoths. The gargantuan-sized knife is 22 1/2” overall with a massive 3” wide, 1/4” thick blade with a razor-sharp 15” edge. The stainless steel modified, clip point blade extends from a curved, solid brass handguard that’s hefty enough to protect your hand with no effort. But really, the appeal of this magnificent knife is its eye-catching, genuine bone handle with its stag antler crown pommel. When I say jaws will drop when you pull this primitive-looking monster from its leather belt sheath, I’m speaking the utter truth! And as long as I’m being truthful, I admit the Timber Wolf King Stag Knife is my favorite of all the knives on this list.

11. Raptor Machete

Take the Raptor Machete out with you when you want to actually conquer the wild! That’s what our customers tell us they do and the reason this machete made this year’s list. Like the King Stag above, it also has a wide, stainless steel blade, which comes in at 2 1/2”, with a just under 15” incredibly sharp edge. The massive handle is made of pakkawood with a stainless steel band to match the hefty handguard and pommel. The handle has a finger-grooved design and the handguard curves back toward it, giving you a comfortable, protective grip. The machete can be carried and stored in its tough nylon belt sheath. A gargantuan monster, the Raptor Machete will, hands-down, make chopped-liver out of anything you put in front of it!

12. Gil Hibben IV Machete

The only way to end our top knives list is with another incredible Gil Hibben. The Gil Hibben IV Machete is one, solid piece of heat-forged carbon steel with a unique, weathered blade finish. The handle features black cord wrappings for the secure, comfortable grip you need in a machete of this caliber. It also has a genuine leather wrist lanyard as an added measure of security in your hand when you’re using it. The Gil Hibben IV Machete is both functional and has a sleek form, giving you a knife fixed blade that will stand the test of time for generations of use.